There are moments in the political life of a country when a proposal is so sweeping, so casually destructive, that it forces every serious organisation to pause and ask: What kind of society do we intend to be? Reform UK’s proposed Great Repeal Bill is one such moment. It is not a technical adjustment to the statute book. It is not a pruning of outdated regulations. It is a deliberate unravelling of the legal protections that millions of working people rely on every single day.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has been clear about the stakes. Paul Nowak, its General Secretary, has warned that Reform’s agenda would “rip up the rights that working people rely on”, describing the proposals as an attempt to “take us back to the 19th century.” That is not hyperbole. It is a sober assessment of a programme that explicitly targets the Employment Rights Act, the Equality Act, and the Renters (Reform) Act — the very architecture of modern workplace and tenant protection.
Solidarity, as an independent union, is not in the habit of echoing anyone’s line for the sake of it. But when the rights of workers are threatened, clarity matters. And on this issue, the TUC is right.
The Rights at Stake
To understand the scale of what Reform UK proposes, one must appreciate the nature of the rights they intend to sweep away. The Employment Rights Act is not an obscure technical document. It is the foundation of protections against unfair dismissal, redundancy abuse, and exploitative working practices. The Equality Act is the shield that protects workers from discrimination — on grounds of sex, race, disability, religion, and more. The Renters (Reform) Act is the legislation that finally began to address the insecurity of no‑fault evictions.
Reform UK’s Great Repeal Bill would dismantle these protections wholesale. The TUC has highlighted that this would mean the removal of pregnancy protections, bereavement leave, sick pay from day one, and safeguards against fire‑and‑rehire — a practice that Unite’s General Secretary Sharon Graham has rightly described as “a gift to bad bosses.” Graham has long argued that fire‑and‑rehire should be “outlawed, not encouraged,” and her warning lands with particular force in this context.
These are not luxuries. They are the minimum standards of a civilised labour market.
Workers Do Not Want Fewer Rights
One of the most striking elements of the TUC’s campaign is its grounding in public opinion. A 40,000‑person MRP poll commissioned by the TUC found overwhelming support for existing workplace protections — not just in Labour‑held constituencies, but in Reform‑held ones too. In Nigel Farage’s Clacton seat, for example, 77% of respondents supported banning exploitative zero‑hours contracts, 81% supported ending fire‑and‑rehire, and 66% supported sick pay from day one.
Paul Nowak summarised the findings bluntly: “Working people don’t want fewer rights — they want more.”
This is a crucial point. Reform UK’s agenda is not a response to public demand. It is a programme driven from above, not below. It is a vision of Britain shaped by those who have never had to worry about insecure work, sudden dismissal, or the fear of losing a home through a no‑fault eviction.
The Influence Behind the Agenda
The TUC has also drawn attention to the financial interests behind Reform UK. Their campaign highlights the role of Christopher Harborne, an offshore investor who has donated £15 million to Reform and £5 million to Nigel Farage personally. The TUC’s messaging is direct: “Billionaires might not want workers’ rights — but we do.”
This is not a claim that money alone determines policy. But it is a reminder that political agendas do not emerge in a vacuum. When a party funded by ultra‑wealthy donors proposes the wholesale removal of workplace protections, it is reasonable — indeed necessary — to ask who benefits.
Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, has warned that weakening rights is “a recipe for insecurity and fear at work.” For firefighters, whose safety depends on clear procedures, strong protections, and the ability to challenge unsafe practices, the implications are obvious. But the same logic applies across the labour market. When rights are weakened, insecurity spreads.
Why Solidarity Stands With the TUC
Solidarity is not affiliated to the TUC. Our independence and non-affiliation to any political party is central to our identity. But independence does not mean isolation. When the rights of workers are threatened, workers must stand together — not out of institutional loyalty, but out of necessity.
We support the TUC’s campaign because:
- The Employment Rights Act is the backbone of workplace justice.
- The Equality Act protects our members from discrimination.
- Fire‑and‑rehire destroys livelihoods.
- Zero‑hours exploitation traps workers in insecurity.
- Pregnancy protections safeguard families.
- Sick pay is a basic human necessity.
These are not abstract principles. They are the protections our members rely on when they face dismissal, harassment, discrimination, or sudden loss of income. They are the rights that allow workers to challenge unfairness without fear.
Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect, has warned that Reform’s agenda would “undermine professional standards and weaken protections for skilled workers.” His point is well‑made. Rights do not only protect the vulnerable; they protect the integrity of professions, the safety of workplaces, and the dignity of labour.
The Broader Question: What Kind of Country Do We Want?
The debate over Reform UK’s Great Repeal Bill is not simply a dispute over legislation. It is a question about the kind of country Britain intends to be. Do we want a labour market where employers can dismiss workers at will? Where discrimination is easier to conceal? Where insecurity is normalised? Where tenants live in fear of sudden eviction?
Or do we want a society where rights are upheld, where dignity is protected, and where the law stands with the worker rather than the exploiter?
The TUC has framed its campaign with a simple message: “We won these rights together — and we’ll defend them together.” Solidarity agrees. Rights are not gifts from the powerful. They are the achievements of generations of workers who refused to accept exploitation as inevitable.
A Call to Every Worker
Solidarity urges every member — and every worker in Britain — to stay informed, stay organised, and stand firm. The Great Repeal Bill is not a distant threat. It is a clear and present danger to the rights that make work bearable, safe, and fair.
We say this plainly: If Reform UK gets its way, your rights at work will be weaker. Your protections will be fewer. Your security will be lower.
The TUC is right to call this out. Union leaders across the movement are right to warn against it. And Solidarity will not sit quietly while the rights of working people are lined up for repeal.
Workers built these protections. Workers rely on them. Workers must defend them.
By Pat Harrington, General Secretary of Solidarity union.
